It was a night of celebration that gathered artists and art collectors alike to witness the unveiling of the new set of jewels in the Philippine art and design industry.

Now on its 29th year, the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) National Competition in Painting, Sculpture, Interior Design and Architecture recognized the new batch of future masters in an awarding ceremony on September 19 at Le Pavillon, Metropolitan Park, Pasay City.

Gracing the event were guests of honor Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares and Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Hyuk who joined senior officers of the Metrobank Foundation in recognizing and presenting this year’s MADE winners.

“The Metrobank Foundation, through the MADE program, has always been in constant search of rare gems in its painting, sculpture, architecture, and interior design competitions. After a meticulous search process, we are bringing you once again another batch of winners considered as newfound treasures in the Philippine art & design scene,” said its president Aniceto Sobrepeña during the ceremonies.

“This year’s winning artworks and designs have also captivated the final board of judges with techniques and themes that convey messages of morality, perseverance, freedom and cultural appreciation,” he added.

The 2013 winners of the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence National Competition with (fifth from left to right) Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepeña, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Hyuk, Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares and Metrobank Group Vice Chairman Antonio Abacan Jr. PHOTOS BY EDWIN MULI

Comparable to an art festival, the event featured not only the winners but also the masterpieces of over 100 artists—all in one night.

The winners
For the Painting competition, the winners are as follows: For the oil on canvas category, grand prizewinners were Alvin Florentino for his painting “Nilay-Nilay,” and Herbert Pajarito for his work “Intercession.” Meanwhile, “Perseverance” by Darby Vincent Alcoseba bagged the top place for the Watermedia-on-Paper category.

For the Sculpture competition, “Bulalas!” by Merlito Gepte took the highest honor. Made of resin and fiberglass, Bulalas’ exterior is that of a human head that opens to reveal a tree resin.

Interior Designer Anne Astrid Sangil was able to weave all of these criteria into her grand prize winning entry entitled “Habi.”

In cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Architecture competition challenged young architects to design the CCP port/terminal, which represents our rich Filipino culture in this global tourism market.

A team of young architects led by Jason Romeo Abustan together with Anne Lorraine Caban and Jonathan Sadorra who designed “Agos,” landed on top spot.

All of the grand prize winners were awarded with a trophy by sculptor Noell El Farol and cash prize worth P300,000 each.

One-night exhibit
Another highlight of the night was an art exhibit by the MADE Network of Winners (MADE NOW)—the alumni organization of former MADE winners.

On its second year, artworks displayed were made available for sale during the exhibit run of which a percentage of the proceeds go to the various pay-it-forward projects of the alumni organization such as art therapy.

The MADE of GOLD coffee table book was also featured. The first art coffee table book published by Metrobank Foundation, it chronicles MADE’s almost three decades of uplifting Filipino culture and the arts as the soul of our nation.

With art critic Cid Reyes as writer-editor, the coffee table book features, in full color, more than 150 winning artworks in the painting and sculpture competitions as well as winning designs and works of almost 20 interior designers, architects, and Metrobank Prize for Achievement in Sculpture awardees.